


"The Bad-Boy&Nerdy-Girl kinda story we all secretly love to binge-watch” – Yang Jeongin

by Nuppy97



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Attempt at Humor, Boys Kissing, Cuddling & Snuggling, First Dates, Fluff, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, M/M, Social Issues, Study Date
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:35:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26579944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nuppy97/pseuds/Nuppy97
Summary: “Don’t you tell me,” Jeongin gasps dramatically. “Is this the bad-boy-nerdy-girl kinda story we all secretly love to binge-watch?”“You’re ridiculous,” Seungmin huffs.
Relationships: Hwang Hyunjin/Kim Seungmin
Comments: 30
Kudos: 200
Collections: EQUINOX





	1. Week I

**Author's Note:**

> EQUINOX - Prompt #29

The idea of a group project is kind of terrifying for Seungmin, and not because of the reasons people might think of. Yes, he is a nerd, if that’s what academically-invested students are called. But no, he isn’t socially awkward. In his honest opinion, it is quite the opposite.

So what could be so bad about having to share the demanding workload required for a somewhat decent essay or presentation? Exactly that!

From experience, he could say that very few people understand the concept of sharing while working together. There are those who simply don’t contribute enough, or at all, coming up with weak excuses for not having done their part of the work, so that their partners would have to do last-minute runs on filling up the gaps. Then there are those who would establish a dictatorship and listen to none of the other parties’ suggestion, nit-picking on every single detail that isn’t the way they want it to be. Both of the types are exhausting and, frankly speaking, Seungmin really doesn’t know which one he dislikes the most.

So when their Social Science teacher, Miss Jung Eunji, informs them about the 50-paged essay due in a month and the pre-formed list of the working pairs, he quickly scans the class to see if there is anyone who looks friendly and reliable enough for the task.

Unfortunately, this specific course is part of his electives, so most of the faces are unknown. Maybe Lee Felix would be okay – being an exchange student, he is still catching up with most of the things but, from what little he could tell, he is also a sweet kid that tries his best on every little thing he does.

Miss Jung projects the list of partners and the assigned topic on the interactive whiteboard. And choir of disagreements erupts from most of the class; now because they aren’t paired with one of their friend-circle and now because their topic is deemed unfairly difficult in comparison to the others’.

“Guys, don’t think that I’m doing this to penalise you,” Miss Jung tries reasoning. “I did a simple and casual draught, and this is what came out from it!” She points the whiteboard, and then the window. “Once you are out of high school, you’ll have to accept and adapt to whatever shit your employer or manager decides to put you through.” No one is really surprised anymore about her cussing in front of the class because she just strives to be that cool kind of teacher straight out of some teen drama. “And you definitely won’t be able to choose your teammates, resulting bratty and spoiled if you complain about it,” and then she goes on explaining the importance of teamwork in today’s society.

Seungmin tries to find his name on the list still being projected, scanning quickly through the surnames of his classmates.

_Hwang Hyunjin. Gender-neutral Socialisation._

Well, at least it isn’t Han Jisung – the boy is a freaking genius, but also far too hyper and chaotic for Seungmin’s sanity to handle for four consecutive weeks.

“Remember that this will count as half of your final marks and half of it will be evaluated from the kind of teamwork I’m going to see,” continued Miss Jung. “So along with the prompt explanation I’m going to send you via email, you’ll also get a list of parallel tasks you need to submit before the actual presentation takes place,” then she clarified. “Don’t take this as me not trusting you, but as an opportunity not to slack and work in a different format from what you're used to!”

Another round of complains burst from the already discouraged students, but gets cut off by the bell indicating the end of the period.

Seungmin can’t even find the time to gather all his belonging in his white backpack before seeing Hwang Hyunjin darting off the class.

At first, he doesn’t think much of it, maybe the guy just has some important business to attend or whatever, but the situation is quickly getting ridiculous.

Of course he doesn’t want to have prejudices on someone he knows little to nothing about – he really doesn’t! – but it’s hard when Hyunjin seems to have developed some kind of radar used for evading within thin air anytime detected!

And that’s how he finds himself sighing heavily on one of their school canteen tables and picking at the sad-looking vegetables on his plate.

“I really don’t want to know, but all your sighing is getting quite annoying, so I’m still going to ask,” he hears Jeongin snort. “Why the hell are you sighing like your five cats got decapitated or something??”

“I’ve never had five cats, you’re mistaking me with someone else,” he absentmindedly comments.

“Whatever dude, what the hell is wrong with you?!”

“Aren’t you brat getting a little too feisty as for lately?” Seungmin narrows his gaze at the younger.

Jeongin rolls his eyes at that. “Stop acting like my mom and answer the question!”

“Nothing, just my project partner escaping me as if I were some kind of disease or whatsoever…” he sighs again.

“Who is your partner?”

“Hwang Hyunjin. I don’t even know anything about the guy, if not his name, that he’s one of the pretty boys from dance club and that he has half the school fawning over him – and not to seem creepy, but I kind of know a lot of things about a lot of people!” he protests.

“That’s pretty creepy if you ask me,” Jeongin’s face scrawls in return.

“Not helping!”

The younger laughs at the agony latched on his friend’s voice, and then hums. “I don’t know much, but we all know that he’s a Bad Boy™ and I've heard that he’s a big time slacker or something.”

Seungmin groans and slams his face on the table.

~*~

But yeah, it’s going to be okay, right? Right. He can do with being paired with a slacker, it won’t be the first time anyway! And even though teachers usually like preaching about teamwork and all those pretty stuffs, working separately is also largely condoned.

On his way out to the school gates after clearing out all the classes for the day, he finally brings up the courage and opens the email Miss Jung sent them, reading carefully through the assignments in hope of placating his turbulent spirit. They have to come up with 25 questions each about the partner’s personal experience on the matter, backed by written evidence; take a stand on the issue and argument it with a valid real-life solution model: film at least three moments portraying the various stages of the work process, ten to fifteen minutes each; interviews on the field if deemed necessary, and so on.

Yeah, no. There is no way this is going to work out. Does he really need extra credits? Is it too late to change his program now? Who is he kidding, of course it’s late, he handed his final schedule to the Student Service Office as soon as humanly possible because he didn’t want to constantly remind himself about it! And this is what he gets for being hasty…

And as if on cue, he sees the dark-haired head, that he’s unfortunately getting way too familiar with lately, flashing a few meters from him.

He doesn’t know if it’s the anxiety of not passing one of his classes barely a few weeks in or plain desperation, but he marches with long strides straight to his target.

“Hwang Hyunjin!” he grabs said boy’s arm to stop him from escaping like the last few days on this part, voice loud and firm. The little startle elicited from Hyunjin – quickly masked by his signature cold gaze – was not in the plan, but he isn’t going to complain. “The Social Science project. I’m your partner and we need to start working on it. Fast.”

He would feel bad about how rude he sounds if it weren’t for the icy stare he’s getting in return.

“Yeah, about that,” Hyunjin starts, voice sharp. “I can’t right now.”

“So when can you?” he immediately counters.

“This week’s a bit…” a twitch of hesitancy runs over the black-haired boy’s features.

A bit _what_?! Four weeks is barely enough time to write anything similar to the length demanded for this essay. “Listen, I don’t mind working on it alone, but this time Miss Jung really made it impossible to go round the teamwork stuff.” Seungmin takes a long breath before continuing. “We have to cooperate or we won’t pass her class, and it’s our last year so we cannot afford such a thing.”

Hyunjin seems to ponder about something for a few seconds, and then offers. “I can ask her about changing partners if you want.”

Scratch the whatever approach he’s going on about, the guy is really really pissing him off. “Are you kidding me?! Which part of being graded based on our teamwork don’t you understand?”

“I really can’t this week though!” Hyunjin states exasperated, while trying to free his arm from the grip.

“How about the next then?”

“Next week is probably fine,” the boy grumbles back, but doesn’t sound too sure about the answer either.

“Give me your phone,” Seungmin requests lifting his free hands out.

“Wait, why?” Hyunjin immediately guards himself up, glaring menacingly.

“I want your number, finding Nemo isn’t really in my skill set,” Seungmin laughs, trying to joke the seriousness around them away.

“Finding Nemo?” the boy looks even more dubious now.

“You. Nemo is you.” Seungmin clarifies, cringing at how childish the analogy sounds once said aloud.

Hyunjin carefully holds out his unlocked smartphone, not even once stopping scowling at him.

This isn’t going anywhere and Seungmin has to intensely think about ways to seal the partnership while typing his number on the boy’s phone, saving it with his full name, and calling his own phone – not wanting to leave anything to chance. And well, he is kind of desperate!

“How about this,” he starts, slowly giving the mobile back to its original owner. “If we get an A in this project, you’ll get one wish from me.”

“What kind of wish?” Hyunjin raises an eyebrow, signalling his interest.

“I don’t know, you choose. I know half the school and am familiar with most of the other half, you really can exploit this to your favour if you want,” states Seungmin and – alarmed by the cheeky smirk he receives in return – quickly adds, “as long as it’s nothing weird.”

Just then, Hyunjin’s phone starts ringing – startling him and arousing a round of profanities from the said boy. Hyunjin yanks his arm away before darting towards the school exit, not even a word to bid farewell.

“Goodbye to you too, Hwang Hyunjin, have a nice day!” Seungmin shouts at the boy, bewildered by the rudeness.

And it has to be really something if he finds himself thinking that he would absolutely prefer Changbin’s loud ass over _this_!

~*~

Seungmin knows that he should stay true to his word and not pester Hyunjin for the rest of the week, but all his classmates talking about their progress in the project is making him more and more anxious, and he’s not even an anxious person to begin with!

No wonder he keeps switching to the boy’s contact information, fingers aching to press that _damn_ call-button.

Seungmin has always been one of those annoyingly efficient people who like to complete their tasks days – sometimes even weeks – before the actual due date and this idle waiting is slowly making him insane, every single cell in his body screaming at the blatant procrastination, even while trying to occupy his mind with the other assignments.

At this point, all he does is groaning and complaining to the only friend willing to listen to him during their lunch break – he does have other friends, of course, but they are older and have already finished high school – and he’s simply not close enough to the rest of the student body for him to vent.

“Gosh, you’re so annoying!” Jeongin bursts out. “Why don’t you text some small talk shit to the guy and set up date and place for your first study session and stop bothering me for once?!”

“You're right, I can at least do that much!” Seungmin perks up at the thought. He immediately takes out his mobile phone and starts typing a quick message, double-checks the spelling – as he always does, he doesn’t do typos, thank you very much – and sends it to the one constant in his life during this long and excruciating week.

Jeongin glances at the text from the side. “Dude, are you kidding me?” he snorts. “Is that what small talk is supposed to be?”

Seungmin is offended, to say the least. What the hell is wrong with his text? So he runs his eyes over the opened chat on the screen once again.

_Hello, Hwang Hyunjin. I’m your project partner Kim Seungmin, as you can tell by the contact name. Don’t forget to prepare at least 15 questions you’d like to ask me on the topic before our meeting next week._

“I expected much more from your social skills,” the younger remarks with an amused laugh. “You’re going to scare him!”

Seungmin has to admit it, he too expected a lot more from himself. “Isn’t he supposed to be some kind of wannabe Bad Boy or something?” he huffs. “He should be able to take at least this much!”

Somehow, texting Hyunjin calms his nerves down a little, but just a little. He has at least done _something_ , and now has to wait for a reply before attacking once more.

But here’s the catch, that Hyunjin guy hasn’t even been online for _days_ , let alone read his message!

By Friday afternoon Seungmin already wants to tear his hair away because of the frustration. Of course, the fact that he’s also finished all his other assignments isn’t going to help him go through one of the worst weekends ever.

And that’s why, when his older sister slams open his bedroom door and begs him to go to the local dry-cleaner and bring back her evening gown – screeching about how late she’s going to be for her company’s annual dinner gala – he immediately jumps up from the bed, where he has been laying and commiserating, grabs his jacket and runs out of the apartment.

~*~

It isn’t his first time in that pretty little laundry shop that always smells like lavender and thyme. He’s been there many times with his mother when he was younger, and the nice old lady at the counter would always give him candies to munch on while waiting patiently for the adults to finish their business.

This time as well, the pleasant fragrance floods his nostrils.

“Welcome!” a voice chirps out from the back room, as the bells at entrance thrill. “I’ll come right away!”

And as promised, the said guy rushes to the counter with a bright smile plastered on his face. “Hi! How can I help you?”

Seungmin is so astonished that it takes him quite a few seconds to elaborate who exactly he is talking to. “Hwang Hyunjin?”

“Kim Seungmin, hey,” he dares to look _bashful_ for a moment. “Can I help you with something?”

 _Yes, with the project_ , he immediately thinks, but can’t actually say anything. Seungmin’s brain is malfunctioning and he can’t even blame it!

“Seungmin?” Hyunjin smiles sheepishly, rubbing his neck with one hand.

Seungmin really tries his best to recover from the shock. “Yeah. A dress,” he provides and mentally face-palms at his own awkwardness. “I’m here to pick up a dress.”

“Oh!” Hyunjin visibly perks up at this. “Do you have the receipt number?”

Seungmin fishes a tiny handwritten paper out from the back-pocket of his jeans and carefully hands it to Hyunjin. He watches the boy that is clearly some kind of doppelganger of his classmate – there is no way they are the same person! – as he sifts through methodically arranged cloth hangers.

“You're here for Park Jimin’s gown?” Hyunjin inquires with a doubtful look, in his hands a deep green dress – that’ll probably work as a traffic light, combined with Jimin’s bubble-gum orange hair – meticulously wrapped by a thin plastic dust cover.

“Yes.”

“Wait, are you her baby brother?” he gasps surprised.

“Yes, I am…?” Seungmin frowns, not knowing what to take from the apparent distrust.

“Oh wow, that’s… unexpected,” Hyunjin comments pensively, while typing something on the cash register.

“We have different fathers,” Seungmin immediately defends. He doesn’t really mind telling people about them being half-siblings, but the condescending gazes he somehow gets in return are quite annoying.

“I see, that explains the different surnames,” Hyunjin hums. “But it’s not that,” he presses his lips together in an attempt of a smile. “She always talks about you as if you were five or something.”

Seungmin twists his face in a scoff, as he can’t even finds himself to be surprised. “Then she probably won’t mind if I accidentally drop her dress on the way home, right?” he retorts.

Hyunjin coughs gawkily, probably trying to suppress a laugh. “No but really, she adores you, like a lot.” He adds and hands him a canvas shopper – environmentally friendly, props to that! – with the dress in it.

“I know.”

Seungmin is about to say something else when the bells at the door jingle once more.

“Welcome Mrs. Thompson,” Hyunjin immediately perks up. “Are you here for the coat?”

“Oh yes, sweetheart, thank you,” the short and puffy woman – probably in her sixties – greets back with a sweet smile, directing one towards Seungmin as well.

The black-haired boy runs to the back room and returns at the front desk with a huge opaque dust cover. “How have you been, Mrs. Thompson? How are your grandchildren doing?” he grins.

“I’ve been doing fine and my grandchildren are spikier than ever, thank you for asking, darling,” Mrs. Thomson answers, smile faltering a bit before asking “Is your granny still unwell?”

“Yes, but she’s recovering very fast and she should be able to come to the shop by next week.” Hyunjin’s hands are fast as he works with the cash register.

“Oh, it’s so sweet of you helping her manage the shop in the meantime,” she pinches Hyunjin’s cheek amorously. “How I wish kids nowadays were a bit more like you,” she sighs.

“Thank you Mrs. Thomson,” he giggles. He fucking _giggles_! “I’m sure everyone is doing their best,” he smiles as he hands her the same canvas shopper Seungmin is already holding, but bigger in size.

The two exchange another round of greetings before she walks out of the shop.

Hyunjin’s gaze settles once again on Seungmin. “Your sister has already paid for the service,” he points out, shifting on his feet awkwardly.

“I know, she told me that much.”

Hyunjin gives him an eloquent look, probably asking what the hell he’s still doing here.

“About the project,” Seungmin starts, not entirely sure of how to phrase what he has to say, without souring the other boy’s mood. “Are you free on Monday?”

Hyunjin’s eyes immediately flickers as he presses his mouth in a thin line. “I’m free after school.”

Seungmin exhales the breath he hasn’t realised to have held. “We can’t really use the library because we’ll need to communicate a lot,” he carefully watches any sign of distaste his words may have caused. None, so he continues. “Do you perhaps have a place you’d feel more comfortable working?”

Hyunjin doesn’t answer for a few awfully long seconds. “If you want, we can do it at my place,” he proposes tentatively. “There usually isn’t anyone during the day anyways…”

Well, that isn’t exactly what Seungmin has been expecting – an annoyed huff would probably be more realistic – but he isn’t complaining about how smoothly this seems to be going.

“Sure, that sounds great!” he exclaims a bit too excitedly. “Is it okay if I wait for you in front of the school lobby?”

“Yes.”

“Awesome!” Seungmin can’t stop the ginormous smile building on his face. “See you on Monday then?” he asks, before Hyunjin can change his mind and actually decline everything – and when he receives a slight nod, he waves exaggeratedly at the boy on the counter and trots out the shop, feeling refreshed.

Maybe, just maybe, he isn’t going to fail this class.


	2. Week II

The weekend goes on peacefully for Seungmin and Monday is pretty uneventful as well. Classes are as boring as ever – shocking, right? – and he doesn’t even feel bother by being blatantly ignored by Hyunjin when he tried to greet him on class earlier this morning.

But of course the teacher on his last period decides to choose that exact moment to get funny and entertain them with silly jokes on people’s appearance for good 13 minutes after the bell that should be signalling the end his ranting – yes, he has counted, why wouldn’t he? – and Seungmin doesn’t get angry often, but he’s really close.

He would type some apologies to Hyunjin before darting off the class as soon as they get dismissed, but he’s pretty sure his project partner won’t even check the messaging app. Heck, he isn’t even sure the guy is still waiting for him nearly 20 minutes after their set time!

In fact, he’s more surprised than relieved when he sees Hyunjin leaning on the wall beside an almost deserted lobby and frowning intensively at something on the ground.

Seungmin carefully walks in the boy’s lane of sight as he tries to draw the unnecessarily severe gaze to himself. “Sorry I’m late, Mr. Yang was trying hard to be a dickhead,” he reasons sheepishly.

Hyunjin looks at him, eyebrows still furrowed. “He doesn’t really need to work that hard though, he already is enough of a dickhead as it is,” he comments, relaxing a little his facial structures.

Once again, Seungmin has to blink his eyes furiously and make sure that he isn’t having hallucinations. “Hwang Hyunjin,” he smirks “was that a joke you just made?”

Hyunjin doesn’t answer, but the way he avoids his gaze and presses his mouth in a thin line is more that eloquent. “Let’s go,” he says instead, and starts walking off.

Seungmin can’t help a giddy laugh from erupting as he follows the other boy’s steps. “Just so you know,” he tries “it was a funny joke.”

“It was lame.” Hyunjin puckers his lips in something that could or could not be called a pout.

“Who says lame can’t be funny?” he shrugs.

“So you don’t disagree.” And yep, that’s definitely a pout!

“Sorry, can’t,” he grins. “But I’m all in for lame jokes!”

Hyunjin doesn’t say anything back, but if the little twitch on his mouth is to sign anything, it would probably be an attempt to keep in check a satisfied smile.

~*~

The walk to their destination is not long and, in a quarter of an hour, they’re standing in front of an one storey semi-detached house with a shared main entrance, not too far from the laundry shop.

Hyunjin is about to open the door, when he suddenly looks hesitant and directs an apologising look to him. “Can you wait here for a bit?”

Well, that’s unexpected. But Seungmin knows better than prying, so he simply nods. “Sure, I don’t mind,” he smiles a little at the boy’s constipated expression.

Hyunjin doesn’t waste any time, before disappearing behind the reinforced wooden door and leaving Seungmin awkwardly standing there, in front of someone else’s house.

He looks at the well-cared little shared garden, trying to look as natural as possible. There are various coloured flowers and herbs, arranged in pretty compositions and surrounded by small stones creating some kind of pattern on the soil.

The sound of the door opening once again startles Seungmin out of his reverie. Hyunjin looks a little dishevelled and a coat of sweat is glistening past his sideburns. “Sorry, you can come in now,” he waves inside.

As soon as he steps in, lavender and thyme is all he can think of. It’s not overwhelming – instead, it’s strangely welcoming.

“This way,” Hyunjin’s voice is so soft that it would be hardly understandable if not for the noiseless surroundings.

Seungmin quickly takes off his shoes beside the doorsteps and pads behind the black-haired boy.

Hyunjin’s room – he supposes – has the tinge of a citrus scent mixed with the aroma already filling the rest of the house. The said boy is looking at him uneasy and fidgety, and Seungmin feels like he’s intruding.

“So…” he says, just to break the awkwardness.

Hyunjin winces. “You can sit wherever you want,” his voice is somewhat shaky.

Seungmin settles down on the floor and slowly takes out his laptop from the backpack. He watches as Hyunjin does the same, maintaining a good meter of distance between them. And it physically aches not to ask why exactly the boy looks so uncomfortable – he honestly doesn’t think to be that intimidating of a person and, really, isn’t it supposed to be the other way around?!

Seungmin tries not to show his discomfort and smiles instead. “Is it okay for you if the first half of this week we answer to our respective questions and from that we try to recreate an ideal of a model?” he proposes.

Hyunjin nods. “I still don’t have all twenty-five of them ready, but yeah…” he chews on his bottom lip.

“It’s okay, how many do you have?” Seungmin decreases the space between them to peek at the text document opened on the other boy’s laptop. And Hyunjin flinches, looking at him with wide eyes.

“Sorry,” he immediately retracts and mentally scolds himself for the carelessness. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Twenty-two,” Hyunjin breaths out, after a few moments of silence. “I have twenty-two ready.”

 _Oh_. That’s also unexpected. Isn’t he supposed to be a slacker or something?

Seungmin’s face must have done something because the black-haired boy is worrying his bottom lip once again and frowning at him, guiltily. “You probably didn’t have the chance to check your messages,” he’s quick to explain. “But I texted you a couple of days ago about preparing just half of the questions for now because, as we keep talking, there surely will be more things we’ll get curious about,” he smiles.

Hyunjin nods, relaxing for a bit. “About that,” he rubs his neck sheepishly. “I kind of lost my phone the very next day.”

Seungmin doesn’t want to seem rude, but he knows his expression is probably betraying his astonishment. “Oh, I’m sorry. Was it on the street or any kind of public place? Have you filed a loss report?”

Hyunjin stiffens at the sudden burst of questions. “Oh no, it’s not necessary,” he says after a short moment and a long breath. “I forgot it in a classroom and, when I checked the day after, it wasn’t there so it was probably thrown away.”

“Have you tried looking at the lost property office?”

This time the boy looks dumbfounded. “Do we have one of those?”

Seungmin can’t help the baffled chuckle. “Yes, we do. And nothing gets thrown away at least ‘till the end of the year, sometimes not even then.”

Hyunjin hums, pensive. “I’ll try that, then.”

“Yeah, I hope you find it,” he offers a genuine smile.

He looks at the list of questions opened on his computer screen. Something is nudging him though. “Can I tape-record the answers? So that we don’t have to stop every single time to write everything down immediately, and we can also have an actual conversation while working,” he advances, not being able to hide the hopefulness in his voice. “I can create a shared holder and put the recordings there, and then we can unite both our lists before sending it to Ms. Jung.”

“Yeah, that’s actually…” Hyunjin furrows his eyebrows, perplexed. “I’m not really that fast at typing, so that would be actually nice,” he presents a shy smile.

~*~

The next day, the first thing Hyunjin does – when he sees him waiting in the lobby – is flashing him a not-so-new smartphone. “It really was among the lost items,” he grins, the slightest blush on his cheeks.

Seungmin giggles in return, trotting all the way to his partner’s house – the especially sunny and warm weather is making him giddy.

One thing catches his attention as soon as he enters Hyunjin’s room: there is a round little tea table beside the bed, the height perfect for sitting and working on the ground.

The other thing he notices is when they set themselves around the said table. The space that Hyunjin so viciously kept between them the day before is decreased by at least half of its original size. And he can’t help but smile at the small accomplishment.

Apart from that, Hyunjin also seems a lot more relaxed and outspoken than what he was during their previous encounters. In fact, he learns a lot of things while light-heartedly bantering through their question-lists.

Apparently, Hyunjin is quite a decent cook, is good at knitting accessories for dogs and he likes interior designing – the detailed garden outside the house being one of his first creations. Seungmin would have never guessed such features coming along the resident cold boy image he carries around the school, but he thinks that it actually suits his project partner way more than necessary!

Tuesday is definitely a good day, but Wednesday turns out to be pleasantly unexpected.

Hyunjin forgets to make him wait at the door like the previous days, too caught up in laughing at one of the misadventures Seungmin had to go through because of his troublesome friends. Squeaky barks and little pads are what welcome them at the boy’s room.

Hyunjin visibility panics, not knowing whether to direct his attention to the long-furred black-and-white Chihuahua – maybe it’s a mutt, who knows – or to Seungmin.

“Kkami is a little squeamish with strangers,” Hyunjin warns uneasily.

And Seungmin can only stare at those huge and shiny black orbs fixing him with mistrust. He slides down to the ground and sits on his toes, puts his hands on the floor and brings his chin over his knees, trying to get as close as possible to the small-sized pet’s eye-level.

Kkami – as Hyunjin called it earlier – regards him cautiously and attempts on sniffing the tips of his fingers. Seungmin doesn’t move and the dog continues his long observation, before rubbing its little head on his hands.

“You’re a cute dog,” Seungmin coos and scratches behind its ear. “Is it a boy or a girl?” he asks turning to the other human present in the room.

Hyunjin looks flabbergasted, to say the least. “How?” he gasps. “He really dislikes strangers though!”

Seungmin laughs at the way Kkami’s fur tickles his neck – where the dog found a place to snuggle, while he tried to find a better sitting position. “He doesn’t looks so intimidated,” he comments amused.

The rapid sequence of a familiar shutter sound abruptly catches his attention. Seungmin instinctively turns towards the noise and finds the black-haired boy clicking pictures of him and Kkami with his phone camera.

Only then, Hyunjin seems to notice what he has been doing. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t h- I’ll delete them right away,” he stammers.

“It’s okay, I don’t mind,” Seungmin reassures with a smile. Then he decides that it won’t hurt voicing what he’s apparently most curious about.

“Did they come out well?” And it is way more embarrassing than what he has thought it would be.

“Y-yeah,” Hyunjin looks at him with eyes suddenly filled with excitement. “Yes, they came out great!”

He scoots beside him on the floor and shows him the phone screen. “Kkami is really shy around strangers, so I’m kind of surprised he warmed up to you so quickly,” he laughs, eyes crinkled and dimples highlighted – simply beautiful.

Seungmin shakes the thought off his mind. “They say pets resemble a lot those who take care of them.”

“Ah, I suppose so…” the boy seems to ponder for a moment.

“Are you shy around strangers, too?” he asks, feeling somehow nervous about the possible answer.

“Does it even matter?” Hyunjin counters, voice feeble and lips curling up in a pout. “I always kind of make a mess out of my first impressions.”

Kkami slips on his owner’s lap – probably sensing the distress – and Hyunjin automatically hugs him up on his chest, hiding half of his face in the dog’s fur.

Seungmin barely represses the urge to do the same – or offer any kind of comfort, really – and quickly takes his laptop out of his backpack, then opens the half-finished list of questions.

Their exchange of information goes on flawlessly and, as always, it’s surprising how many insightful questions Hyunjin can come out with.

“What is the most angering or hurtful thing that happened to you personally because of gender stereotypes?” He asks Seungmin this time, slightly hesitant – as whenever he tries bringing up a sensitive topic.

Seungmin has to reflect carefully on this one, because he feels like it’s a question that deserves that much sincerity.

“It doesn’t have to be something super important, you know?” Hyunjin mumbles, carding his fingers through the already-asleep puppy on his lap. “Because it’s about feelings and we can’t really question the way we feel...”

Again, it’s fascinating how insanely thoughtful he can be.

Seungmin sighs. “It’s just kind of irrelevant if we compare it with other serious discriminations people usually face.”

“That doesn’t mean it can’t be just as valid,” Hyunjin chews on his bottom lip timidly.

“Right,” Seungmin laughs awkwardly. “I don’t know if it’s on top of my list, but it definitely is on my top ten,” he starts tentatively. “I guess I don’t really like when people try to judge my emotional depth starting from my gender, like- can’t I have feelings if I’m a dude?!” he shakes his hands, away too immersed in his rant.

Hyunjin hums, a little smile tugging his lips up. And Seungmin feels his cheeks burning in embarrassment for getting carried away. “What about you?” he asks sheepishly, to try and shift the attention to something else.

“Mine is very superficial, actually,” Hyunjin admits timidly. “In our kindergarten, they’d always teach us how to make flower crowns and at the time I didn’t know it was supposed to be a girls-only activity,” he takes in a deep breath. “So, I got really invested – also because they were cute and all – and I actually made a crown that I was quite proud of,” he gives Seungmin a somewhat guilty look for the gratuitous brag. “And I was so excited to wear it around and boast about it to my friends, but the teachers took me to the side and explained to me that I was a boy and boys should play with cars, not with flowers, and that I shouldn’t wear a flower crown because people would think weirdly of me and make fun of me. I mean, I played with cars, too – they were fun – but why can’t I also like pretty things?” he whines. “So yeah, I was pretty upset that one time…” he then finishes with a pout.

Seungmin can already imagine it – a little Hyunjin, head adorned by a cute flower crown and eyes shining with excitement, ready to show his precious handiwork. And then he can imagine the little boy frowning as he gets chided instead of being prised, pouty lips trying not to show how hurt he was… it is endearing, really.

The first thing Seungmin does when he gets home is, indeed, asking his sister how to make a flower crown. Of course he has expected the sceptical look he gets.

“How would I know that? Google it or something,” Jimin grunts from the couch where she’s sprawled, watching some late-evening comedy show.

Seungmin knows better than to insist – for all the prises the two siblings could own, being good at craftsmanship is definitely not one of those.

~*~

Another thing that should surprise him is when the so-called slacker of his project partner cancels their Friday appointment, but still remembers to suggest a Saturday date to work on the project – and who is Seungmin if not a so-called workaholic? So, not only he gladly accept the offer of spending his whole Saturday doing a massive school project, but at this point he can’t even find on himself to be shocked about this unexpected turn of events.

The weather is the perfect amount of warm and sunny on that early afternoon when he covers the few blocks that separate his place from Hyunjin’s.

The path also happens to run along a meadow of wildflowers, and he doesn’t really register what he is doing until he’s standing at Hyunjin’s front door – a bouquet of wildflowers peeking out of his cream-coloured tote bag.

Hyunjin opens the door for him with a bright smile. And are those braids pulling his long silky locks back in intricate designs?

Seungmin realises that he’s staring in awe only because the boy in front of him self-consciously pats his own head.

“I totally forgot about them,” Hyunjin gapes. “I’ll untie it,” he decides instantly.

“NO!” Seungmin grabs his hands away more forcefully than necessary. “They look really nice on you,” he smiles genuinely. And he knows his sincerity is conveyed when he sees Hyunjin’s cheeks dusting with the prettiest colour of pink, as the boy nods grateful.

“Who is it, sweetie?” a woman’s voice calls from inside, startling both of them.

Hyunjin slides him inside the house and closes the door, before answering back. “It’s Seungmin, for the project.”

Standing at the little kitchen counter was a graceful woman on her sixties, probably, eyes warm. “Oh, so you are the Seungmin he’s always talking about!” she laughs.

“Nana~ you’re making it sound creepy!” Hyunjin whines and pushes him through the hallway. “We have to go now!” he announces hurriedly.

“Have fun!” grandma laughs again.

Once the bedroom door closes behind them, the black-haired boy sighs in relief and flashes him a sheepish smile. “Don’t mind her, she’s just excited that I have friends over.”

Oh. So he talks about him.

Seungmin thinks once again about the flowers in his bag and feels his ears already heating up. _What the hell was I even thinking?_

“Wait, I didn’t want to assume that we’re friends or anything!” Hyunjin quickly corrects himself, and adds softly, “it just came out like that but, don’t worry, I do know that you’re here for the project and not to make friends with me.”

“I thought we were already friends though,” Seungmin pouts, and revels at the way Hyunjin’s whole demeanour brightens up at the disclosure.

That’s enough to scrape together some sort of bravery. “Actually, I have something for you,” he ventures tentatively.

The black-haired boy perks up and gives him a curious look. “What is it?”

Seungmin bites on his bottom lip, pondering about what to do next. He grabs the slightly taller boy by his shoulders and gently guides him to the windowsill. “First, sit.” His voice too soft to actually sound like an order.

Hyunjin complies anyways and Seungmin marvels at the fact that he has now at least a dozen centimetres of advantage in height on the other.

“So,” Hyunjin fixes him with an amused gaze. “What is it?”

Seungmin carefully sets his bag on the windowsill beside the sitting boy and takes a deep breath. “So, I was walking here and saw this meadow of colourful wildflowers,” he starts, for some reason, ridiculously nervous. “And I was reminded of the story you told me a couple of days ago.”

His eyes never leaves Hyunjin, trying to study his every reaction, as he reaches out to the bunch of wildflowers from his bag. “And I don’t even know what I was thinking because I don’t have the slightest clue of how to make a flower crown, but…” he trails off, deciding on showing the boy the deed rather than telling about it. “So yeah, I hope you don’t mind…”

Seungmin can’t remember a single reason, which he gets rejected in his thoughts with, now that he can see the way Hyunjin’s eyes are sparkling, mouth agape and cheeks rosy. “You want me to wear a flower crown?” he breaths out.

“Only if you want to,” Seungmin reassures.

“Unfortunately, I don’t remember how to make crowns anymore,” he confesses and Seungmin visibly deflates. “How about you tuck some of the flowers in my braids?” he offers with a shy smile.

Seungmin’s heartbeat speeds up as he nods and starts decorating with yellows and blues and purples those soft locks. He doesn’t even realise his body moving between a pair of strong thighs and nearly pressing against a slender but firm chest until he’s satisfied with his work.

He looks back at Hyunjin – head clumsily framed by petite wildflowers, bathed in the warm afternoon sun and eyes fixed on him, glowing with intensity.

 _Beautiful, absolutely beautiful_.

“I knew it,” Seungmin smiles softly. “Flowers really are pretty on you,” his voice merely a whisper, almost afraid to disturb the meaningful silence enveloping them. “They suit you wonderfully.”

Hyunjin takes his hands in his own, eyes shining brightly in raw appreciation, as he curves his lips in the sweetest of the giggles.

And Seungmin is left breathless.

If Kim Seungmin has now an entire folder on his phone full of pictures of Hwang Hyunjin with a makeshift flower crown and looking like he came straight out of a fairy tale, it’s no one’s but his own business.


	3. Week III

Working with Hyunjin is exceptionally easy. They converge on so many different points that the model of the ideal society they are supposed to make build itself up almost effortlessly and in no time – it’s unbelievable how in sync their thought processes are, actually.

Once again, the first thing Seungmin does when he enters Hyunjin’s room is launching on the floor to pet his new furred friend.

“Hey babie~” he coos and Kkami starts wagging his tail. “How have you been?” he asks, and the cute little kisses he gets in return leaves him in a fit of giggles.

“You seem to be here just for him,” Hyunjin pouts, clearly feeling left out.

“I’m mostly here for him,” Seungmin hums affirmatively. “But I’m here for you, too.”

The strangled sounds Hyunjin emits, makes him realise, a little too late, the double meaning the sentence could imply.

“For the project, you know,” Seungmin hastily explains, feeling the heat on his cheeks. “It’s not going to work itself up,” he murmurs, faking a nonchalance he does not have.

After that, they both act as if nothing happened – which is in part true, and not just partly, but is entirely true – and continue exchanging ideas after ideas on how they envision their world to be, with Kkami lazily trotting from one lap to another.

It feels like building home together, but not really. Because that would be ridiculous, right?

Seungmin doesn’t have the time to delve much on the thought before he sees a series of catastrophic events unfold in front of his eyes.

Thinking backwards, he can visualise Kkami making a particularly miscalculated leap, getting his small paws entangled in the cables of the laptop charger, that are for some reason encircling the – fortunately empty – mugs of hot chocolate on the tea table and, before they know, everything goes flying. Seungmin – in a feat of agility – manages to catch Kkami on air, while Hyunjin tries to save the cups from crashing on the floor.

What they didn’t calculate is how Seungmin’s back is now pressed against the floorboards and Hyunjin is on top of him, in what looks like a half plank position. Just your usual homework-session type of things, you know?

Kkami immediately escapes from between the two of them – evidently, being squashed by humans isn’t one of his favourite hobbies – and Seungmin can finally focus on the space separating him from the black-haired boy. Or rather, the lack of it.

He can feel Hyunjin’s warm breath on his skin and his deep dark eyes boring in his soul. He isn’t even sure if the erratic heartbeat he’s hearing is his own or not, at this point – but maybe he’s hearing nonsense, because you never know how much you can trust a pair of ears set on fire.

Seungmin shifts his left leg up, in an attempt to adjust his weight and regain a better control over his breathing.

Hyunjin whimpers at that, and Seungmin shivers.

 _Oh_. His knee just- oh… that certainly wasn’t his intention, but now he really can’t stop thinking about _that_. Which is not good, nope. Absolutely not.

Hyunjin wets his bottom lip with the quick swift of his tongue and, god, what would he do to feel those plump rosy lips against his own!

Even in his daze, he can feel himself close the gap more and more. Just a few more centimetres and-

The sudden ringing of the phone breaks them apart in a startle.

Hyunjin gets up and quickly answers the call, while Seungmin is panting as if he’s just run a marathon or something, and he really doesn’t know what to make out of it.

They both silently agree to ignore the whatever implication has just been thrown into the air, or the almost palpable tension that there was for a moment – one that couldn’t exactly pass for a purely platonic one, if he were to be honest.

And when Seungmin gets home and finds his sister cackling over some manga, he can’t help the question that forms on the tip of his tongue. “How do you know if you’re gay?”

Jimin whips her head at him surprised, but then she shrugs. “Do I look like a gay dude to you?”

“You do look like a dude,” Seungmin playfully retorts. “Not sure about the gay part though.”

Jimin snorts. “Ha ha, real funny.”

“Yeah, right?” he laughs, and cringes at how forced it sounds.

Jimin notices too, because now she has sat up from her previously sprawled position and is fixing him worriedly. “Did you not like your ex-girlfriend last year?”

“I did, I think…” his voice is strained, which pretty much reflects the confusion he’s feeling in his head.

Jimin observes him for a few more seconds and sighs. “You know what? Don’t think about labels or things like that, they’re just bullshit,” she declares fiercely. “You just do what feels right to you, and that’s more than enough!”

That seems reasonable. Last year was last year, and right now he just wants to run back to his project partner and listen for hours to those sweet sweet giggles and stare at those beautiful sparkly eyes, and maybe play with his puppy as well.

“Seungmin,” Jimin calls softly. “Is he cute?”

“Yes, he is,” Seungmin smiles, feeling his chest warm up once again. “He’s the prettiest boy I’ve ever met.”

“Whipped!” she scoffs.

“Literally half the school thinks that, too!” Seungmin clarifies defensively.

“Whatever makes you sleep better at night~” Jimin singsongs, and Seungmin nearly regrets having opened up about his struggles to her. Nearly, because he really couldn’t wish for anyone better as a sister (but don’t tell her this).

~*~

“So, how ya doing with your project partner?” Jeongin asks, casually slurping his strawberry-milk.

Seungmin shrugs. “We’re doing fine.”

“Fine?” the younger tilts his head, his signature pout making its way on his lips. “What do you mean by fine?”

Seungmin narrows his eyes – because, never trust Yang Jeongin when he tries to act innocent. “Fine as in, we’re fine, nothing’s wrong.”

“So you don’t have any complaint about him,” Jeongin nods pensively. “Well now, that’s uncharacteristic of you.”

“He’s doing his part, so…” he lets his words fall in a silent eloquence.

“Don’t you tell me,” the younger gasps dramatically. “Is this the bad-boy-nerdy-girl kinda story we all secretly love to binge-watch?”

“You’re ridiculous,” Seungmin huffs. “Seriously, why are you suddenly so interested in my school life?” he asks, latching suspicion in his every word.

“What do you mean? I’m always interested in my friends’ lives,” Jeongin fakes nonchalance while suspiciously sipping his strawberry-milk – which, be aware, was finished at least a couple of minutes ago!

Seungmin snorts at that. “Yeah, sure you do.”

“Just, you know,” he shrugs. “You’re always such a drag that I was expecting some more whining,” he laughs.

“Excuse you! I believe to be detailed-oriented, and not a drag,” Seungmin retorts. “Also, opposite to what you said, Hyunjin is actually quite a diligent person!”

“Aww, don’t tell me you’re gonna miss him after this week~” Jeongin coos.

But Seungmin doesn’t care to counter that because an uncomfortable weight sets in the pit of his stomach. He’s been so focused on everything going on his life that he has completely forgotten that there’s only a weekend before the supposed project submission and presentation date.

It’s not that they have much work to do – everything is pretty much done, just a few final touch ups and it’s all good to go. It’s just that… a weekend, and he won’t have an excuse to spend time every single day with Hyunjin anymore. One weekend and they won’t have laughter-filled afternoons just for the two of them anymore.

That’s why, when Hyunjin tells him that he has to call off this Friday, too, Seungmin doesn’t think twice, before following him gingerly to the shop – he doesn’t have any assignment left to do anyways.

“Is your grandma sick again?” Seungmin asks, leaning his face on the counter while sitting on the wooden bench placed just beside it.

“No, she’s just doing a check-up on her health,” Hyunjin says while arranging a few hangers. “Honestly, I’d like to give her more free time to meet her friends or do what she enjoys, instead of working incessantly to provide for all my expenses,” he bites his lips, looking somehow guilty. “But she always argues to need time off, so I can’t really do much for her,” he pouts.

Seungmin is kind of surprised from the unexpected revelation. It’s not because he didn’t think of such a motivation to come from the boy – in fact, he pretty much deducted this sort of dynamics between the two – but he didn’t think Hyunjin would be comfortable enough to confide in him such a personal side of his life.

“For what I can say from a stranger’s point of view,” Seungmin starts, trying to ponder his words well enough to convey his exact thought. “You guys clearly care a lot about each other, and I can see how you don’t take the other for granted.” He may be a model student, but he’s still far from mastering the art of speech. “From the little I can see, I can tell that she appreciates your help, even if you think you’re not doing much.”

Hyunjin smiles sheepishly. “You think so?”

“Yes,” Seungmin smiles back. “If how much the customers adore you isn’t enough to tell that you already do more than you think you’re doing.”

Hyunjin giggles and rests his elbows on the counter, leaning his face on his palms, just a few dozens of centimetres from Seungmin's. “I was thinking, as you’re already here,” he smiles. “Do you wanna interview some of the customers for our project?”

Seungmin widens his eyes in surprise. “Is that even allowed?”

“Why not?” Hyunjin shrugs. “We are not forcing them into anything, they’ll do it only if they want to.”

“Wait,” Seungmin smirks. “Is this you trying to win that wish I promised you, Hwang?”

“What?! NO!” Hyunjin immediately denies, a blush crawling on his cheeks.

Seungmin laughs. He actually hopes that Hyunjin will ask for his wish once they get their grade, because that will give him an excuse to continue clinging to the boy.

And that’s how they find themselves asking sweet elderly people and housewives in a rush about the best ways to reduce gender stereotypes and give the children a positive and fair environment to grow in – recording everything with their smartphone voice-recorder.

Not everyone is ready to waste part of their day going over uncomfortable questions, but they pleasantly find many that are passionate about giving their kids or their grandkids a better world to live in.

~*~

“Do you live far from here?” Hyunjin asks once he closes the store and pockets the keys.

“Not really,” Seungmin shrugs.

Hyunjin fidgets with his feet. “And is it far from my place?”

“Just about a few minutes by foot, why?”

“I was just thinking,” the raven-haired boy runs his tongue along his lower lip, nervously. “Maybe, if you’re not busy, maybe, do you want to have dinner together?”

Seungmin takes half a second to recover from the surprise. “Yeah, sure!” he smiles excitedly.

Hyunjin immediately brightens up at that. “Then, is it okay if we make a stop by the grocery’s store?”

“Absolutely,” he grins, already anticipating the extra time together.

So they walk to their local supermarket and scan through the numerous rows of vegetable and fruit, tired office workers and cheerful families running around doing some last-minute shopping.

“Is there anything you’d like to eat?” Hyunjin asks eagerly.

“Anything’s fine,” Seungmin smiles because, really, anything’s more than fine when he gets to spend an entire evening with the raven-haired boy.

But said boy doesn’t seem to think the same way, if the disheartened pout were to mean something.

Was that too half-hearted of an answer? “Mmmn, I like eggs...?” Seungmin attempts.

Hyunjin nods enthusiastically at that and dashes to put in the basket many ingredients Seungmin can’t bother to remember. He’s already too occupied imprinting in his mind the so very endearing sight of a lanky teenager boy with silky black hair trying to decide which type of cabbage to purchase, in case he doesn’t get the chance to experience anything similar again.

As soon as they enter the Hwang-house, a bag full of groceries each, they’re immediately welcomed by an overjoyed Kkami.

“At this point, I’m starting to think Kkami’s much happier about seeing you rather than me,” Hyunjin sighs while putting the shopping bags on the kitchen counter and starting to organise the various ingredients, a fond smile betraying his feign annoyance.

Seungmin giggles at that, kneeling down to pet that soft and adorable little puppy.

“Ehm, um, there is this thing I want to try, but I don’t know if it’s going to come out well,” Hyunjin starts shyly, successfully catching the other boy’s attention. “I hope you don’t mind omurice...”

“Wait, you're going to cook omurice?” Seungmin gasps.

“You don’t like it?” Hyunjin immediately panics, flailing his hands around nervously. “I can do something else, then!”

“Nono I’d love omurice!” Seungmin is ready to rebut, standing up to prove his point better. “I just thought we were going to order something or just eat some instant ramen,” he laughs.

“I, um, we could do that, too. I’m not that sure about how it’s going to taste...” Hyunjin pouts.

“I’m sure it’ll be delicious, rice and eggs are always a good match!” Seungmin reassures showing both of his thumbs up.

Hyunjin smiles with a nod and starts placing a few ingredients on the counter, ready to use.

But with the raven-haired boy too occupied in washing the vegetables and the chicken, Seungmin feels way too neglected for his likings.

“What can I do to help, Chef?” he fake-salutes.

Hyunjin seems to be taken by surprise for a moment, before giggling in the most melodious way possible. “Uhm, do you want to cut the veggies?” and when he gets a positive nod for an answer, he prepares a clean cutting board and a knife for him. “I’ll make rice in the meantime.”

“Right on it, Chef!” Seungmin continues with the role-play, because he just _loves_ the laughs he receives in return.

But now, how do people even cut peppers? What the hell is up with that kind of shape? Is he supposed to cut them like apples or like tomatoes? Maybe apples could do the job. Yeah, apples will do the job.

Therefore, he starts cutting them like apples. It’s not that he’s _that_ incompetent in the kitchen – just slightly – so he actually knows how to cut apples.

“You doing okay there?” Hyunjin checks on him, once he has finished setting the rice-cooker. “Wait, why are cutting them so cutely?” he laughs and takes the knife from Seungmin.

The raven-haired boy finishes cutting the remaining pepper, then minces the onions, slices the chicken and heats the pan with some oil, before sizzling the meat on in.

Seungmin can only brood about his own stupid cooking skills. “How are you even _this_ good at this? I can barely fry eggs properly!”

Hyunjin laughs once he takes a look at him. “Don’t pout, I’ve just always enjoyed helping Nana out while cooking, and naturally caught some stuff on.”

Of course, he did! Because why not become even more unapologetically dashing while he was at it? “Not pouting,” he defends. “This is brooding.”

Hyunjin laughs again, pinching slightly one of his puffy cheeks. “Definitely a pout, pup.”

Wait, what? Did he just... No no no, he must have imagined the sudden endearment term, because Hyunjin doesn’t even seem to register it!

The sound of the rice-cooker going off brings him out of his brainstorming.

“Uhm, can you put the rice on a plate to let it cool down, please?” Hyunjin asks, probably noticing his disappointment for not being helpful at all. “You can find them in the cupboard on your right,” he adds pointing on said direction.

Seungmin is grateful for that little gesture of consideration, really, but as soon as he’s done with the task, he finds himself in his previous predicament again. With nothing to do, if not unhelpfully watching the slow process of chicken and vegetables frying on the pan – he’s bored. And he wants attention.

That’s why, he doesn’t think much before propping his head on the older boy’s shoulder and draping his arms around his middle. Which is stupid, really stupid. What if Hyunjin is uncomfortable?

But then Hyunjin leans on his chest and flashes him a quick smile and if Seungmin hugs him tighter to pretend that the erratic pounding of his heart is not actually there, no one has to know.

Hyunjin keeps stirring the pan, adding nonchalantly ketchup and rice, like he is some kind of Michelin Chef, but the process of making the egg wrap has him nervously picking on his lips with his teeth. “I’m so nervous about this,” he confesses, while heating a new pan and batting a couple of eggs.

Seungmin lets go of him and chants for him some overly silly encouragements.

As it turns out, Hyunjin was too worried for his own good, because the three omurices he places after a few minutes are just splendid.

“Yaaay, omurice is a success, Chef!” Seungmin cheers and Hyunjin laughs at his enthusiasm.

Grandma also chooses that exact moment to come back home with a little box of pastries.

“Seungmin, how nice to see you here,” she smiles. “No wonder Jinnie sounded so happy even from the streets!”

Seungmin feels his entire face aflame at the observation. He shouldn’t, but he really can’t stop himself from hoping to maybe having a special spot in Hyunjin’s life in the future.

“Nana, I tried omurice,” Hyunjin declares proudly and zealously waits for the other two to take their first bites, attentively observing any kind of reaction.

As a matter of fact, the omurice is delicious, but it's the thought of the bliss of having experienced the entire process of creation – from the shopping for ingredients to the nerve-wracking preparation of the egg wrap – that makes Seungmin absolutely melt in joy.

“It tastes really good for a first attempt, Jinnie!” Grandma praises.

“I give it a twelve out of ten, Chef!” Seungmin adds, revelling at the grateful smile he receives from the said boy.

After dinner, they also eat the cute little pastries grandma brought, as she recounts embarrassing anecdotes of Hyunjin’s childhood – to which, the black-haired boy squeaks and cringes.

And Seungmin has never felt so welcomed in such an intimate way in his entire life.

“You guys’ project is this Monday, right?” grandma asks, and at the positive response, “Why don’t you stay for the night Seungmin?” she proposes. “This way you can work tonight and tomorrow if you need to, Jinnie can lend you some clothes and his bed is big enough for both,” she adds.

Seungmin gawks at the unexpected offer and sees how Hyunjin is already watching him with hopeful eyes. How can he even say _no_ to that? “Yeah, sure. I’ll text my sister about it,” he smiles.

Hyunjin beams at that and takes him to his room. “You probably need to change and shower, right?”

He then starts rummaging in his wardrobe and comes up with a fluffy towel, a pair of black sweatpants, a white hoodie and a pair of grey boxers. “I swear the boxers are completely new,” he promises with a very serious expression.

“Thank you,” Seungmin laughs. “Do you want to shower first?” he asks.

“No, you can go first.” Hyunjin assures and guides him to the bathroom, gently pushing him by the shoulders, not before letting the shorter grab his backpack, in case he needs anything from there. “I can use Nana’s in the meantime,” he quickly adds and disappears in the hallways.

It’s only when Seungmin closes the door and sees his reflection on the mirror that he notices his bright and dopey smile.

He promptly sends a text to his sister telling her about his sleepover and lets himself dwell a couple minutes more than necessary in the citrus scent of the shampoo. He then dries himself with the towels and gets into Hyunjin’s clothes.

They just smell so much, like, _so much_ like the older that it’s inebriating. He may or may have not spent another couple of minutes just fawning over that.

He finally puts himself together, blow-dries his hair and makes his way back to Hyunjin’s room, finding the said boy already waiting at their tea table, a towel collecting the few drops of water sliding from his wet hair.

“You don’t blow-dry your hair?” he asks.

Hyunjin turns his head towards the voice and widens his eyes in surprise. “You wear glasses?” he gasps.

Wow. Just wow. Seungmin is supposed to charm him effortlessly, but here he is showcasing his stupid glasses that just makes him look super embarrassing. Of course, he had to completely forget about that small detail. “Mmn yes, sometimes,” he murmurs, revaluating his life choices.

“It’s cute,” Hyunjin smiles softly, and Seungmin is probably delusional because he feels so much endearment just from those simple words.

“Mmn, do you want work on the PowerPoint and then maybe add a few of interviews we got today to the presentation?” he proposes, to quickly swift the attention to something less pretentious and sits down beside the raven-haired boy.

It’s way past midnight when he notices how Hyunjin is literally dropping asleep on the table – which is understandable, because the guy worked the whole afternoon before this.

“Hyunjin,” Seungmin nudges him carefully. “Let’s go to sleep.” Hyunjin hums distantly, but makes no effort to move.

Seungmin cradles gently through those long and soft black locks. “Jinnie, you’ll be all sore if you sleep in this position.”

Hyunjin tiredly opens his eyes, nods and climbs on the bed. “Cuddle, pup,” he whines, with grabby hands and droppy eyelids.

Wait, what? Pup, again? This time Seungmin is almost sure of not having misheard it.

“Did you just call me pup?” he asks, more than ready to make the biggest gaffe of his life.

“Yes, because you’re cute like a puppy,” Hyunjin reasons, still half-asleep. “You don’t like it?” he pouts.

Seungmin has never thought that he’ll ever get this warm just by getting compared to a dog. “I don’t dislike it,” he smiles, receiving a dopey one in return.

“Cuddles?” Hyunjin asks again expectantly.

“Yes yes, just let me turn off the light,” he laughs. He would have been a fool if he didn’t notice how much the older loves being clingy once he gets comfortable enough with someone. And he would have been a fool not to accept free hugs and cuddles, especially from Hyunjin.

And that’s how he finds himself falling asleep tangled in lanky arms and legs, snuggled by a citrus-scented warmth, in a bed maybe a little too narrow for two grown-up boys, but still very cosy.


	4. Week IV

“It’s going to be fine, don’t worry,” Seungmin tries to reassure once again the overly nervous Hyunjin. Just a few minutes and it’ll be their turn to do the presentation.

“I just... after everything, I don’t want to mess it up,” he confesses. “And I don’t want to hold you grades back because of some stupid mistake I’m going to make,” he murmurs.

Wow. How can he even be this sweet?

“Jinnie,” Seungmin gently takes his hands in his. “We'll do just fine,” he smiles. “And grades are just numbers and they shouldn’t represent the value of our effort and our worth.”

“But they do?” Hyunjin looks at him with so much vulnerability that he just wants to cradle him in a big hug.

“Maybe in part, but we’re so much more than that,” he nudges softly Hyunjin’s shoulder with his own. “We’re much more than any stupid grade we’ll ever get,” he smiles.

Hyunjin returns his smile, even if a little timidly. “Thank you,” he squeezes his hand. “This means more than you’d think.”

Despite the intense worrying, the presentation carries on flawlessly and Seungmin actually gets to give Hyunjin a big hug as a congratulatory afterwards.

The grades come out two days after that, and Seungmin is not even surprised to see the _A+_ under their project name.

“How is it even possible?” Hyunjin marvels once they are out of the school, walking together for the few blocks they have in common on their way home.

“What do you mean how?” Seungmin grins. “Our work was impeccable and I had full confidence that even Mrs Jung wouldn’t be able to deny that!”

“I’m glad though,” the raven-haired boy smiles, gaze tracing the path in front of them.

“Now that this is done, do you remember that I owe you one wish?” Seungmin nudges their shoulders together playfully.

Hyunjin stops and turns at him, surprised. “You don’t have to.”

“It’s okay, I was the one bringing it up in the first place,” he says, trying to convey the fact that he means what he said.

His sincerity probably does pass through, because he sees Hyunjin crunching up his eyebrows and actually pondering about it.

Would it be too cheesy to wish he asked for something as cliché as a kiss?

“I’d like a date,” Hyunjin finally says with a determined look.

Seungmin represses a scoff, trying not to think about his conflict of interest. “I know I promised I’d help, but I doubt you’d need my help to score a date for yourself.”

“I really do need it though,” Hyunjin insists. “I mean, I’d like a date with you.” He proclaims. Then, he seems to have a sudden realisation and panics. “It can totally be a strictly platonic one if you want!”

Seungmin widens his eyes in surprise. “You want a non-platonic date with me?” Maybe he heard wrong, or maybe his wistful thinking just decided to play him dirty.

“Uhm,” Hyunjin fiddles with his feet. “N-nevermind if it’s too strange,” he stutters, looking at the ground.

“Sounds cool,” Seungmin grins, attracting the raven-haired boy’s attention again. “Also, the platonic date sounds great, but I’d really much prefer a not platonic one.”

Hyunjin just keeps gawking at him, still processing what he has just heard.

“I’ll take you to the awesomest date you’ve ever had!” Seungmin adds, showing him his two thumbs-up.

And the sweet smile he receives in return is worth everything cringe-worth he did or said or thought in those past four weeks.

~*~

Dating should be easy, right? Because he has done this before, right? No, not right. Not at all.

Seungmin has already programmed the perfect schedule for their Saturday date, and he has already told Hyunjin to dress warmly and comfortably, so why is it so difficult for him to choose something warm and cosy, but still cute enough for a date?

He scans once again his collection of hoodies. No, that’s not going to work. So he decides for a denim buttoned-down, with a light blue shirt underneath, and a pair of more well-fitted that his usual straight-legged jeans – blue is his happy colour, so it should work fine.

He trots to Hyunjin’s house ten minutes before their decided-time and waits for the older to get ready, like the perfect date he’s going to be today.

“Seungmin!” Hyunjin immediately opens the door, panting. “I saw you from the window, why didn’t you come in?” A navy-blue v-neck sweater half tucked in his form-fitting jeans.

“I didn’t want to rush you,” Seungmin reasons.

“It’s okay, I’m already ready!” he yells while quickly putting on his boots.

Seungmin pretends he didn’t see Hyunjin almost tripping on the stairs because of the hurry. “You look cute,” he grins. “And it looks like we’re wearing a couple-outfit.”

This time he doesn’t miss how Hyunjin’s cheeks darkens at that. “You look cute, too,” he breaths out.

They go to the bus station and take the one directed the outskirts of the city.

“Where are we going?” Hyunjin asks, curious.

“I think you’ll like it,” Seungmin simply answers.

And he’s right, because Hyunjin brightens up as soon as he sees the ice-skating rinks. “We’re going to ice-skate?”

Seungmin hums. “You like dancing, and although this is not the same, I thought it could be fun.”

“Honestly, I’ve always wanted to try it, but never got around it,” the older confesses.

“Let’s go then!” Seungmin excitedly grabs his hand and takes him to the counter.

They rent their skates and go to the skating rink.

It should be embarrassing because they keep tripping and crashing their butts on the ice and the little kids occasionally laugh at them, but it’s not. With Hyunjin, everything feels like a little adventure.

And it may sound silly, but looking at Hyunjin gracefully twirling on the ice and, immediately after, disastrously falling on it feels scarily special and intimate.

At the end of the day, they are innumerable bruises richer, voices hoarse because of the many ungodly squeals and empty stomachs ready to be filled with unhealthy food.

“What do you want to eat?” Seungmin asks, still laughing at their final encounter with the ground, as they were exiting the rink. “I’ve heard about a good kebab place around here. And there is also one that makes ginormous pizzas and one that have extra-filled burritos!” he lists.

Hyunjin giggles at that. “You really love to do your research, don’t you?”

“Of course! How else am I going to be the perfect date you deserve?” Seungmin answers smugly.

The raven-haired boy stares at him for a few seconds with an undecipherable expression. “You already are, perfect,” he says, gaze unwavering.

Seungmin is baffled by the sudden seriousness, but he soon feels his lips stretching in a smile. “You are too, more than you realise.”

It’s ridiculous how attached he got to this one boy with a cold stare, warm heart and pretty laugh in less than four weeks. Or at least, it should be, but it isn’t. Because Hyunjin makes it feel so very natural.

At last, they decide to try the extra-stuffed burritos because they are extra hungry and they deserve it. Seungmin also discovers that Hyunjin can’t stand eggplants and tries to avoid many other vegetables – he didn’t know he could have even found someone cute for being a picky eater.

Once they finish eating, they take the bus back home.

Seungmin doesn’t want the date to finish, yet.

“Can I, uhm,” Hyunjin fidgets with his hands. “Can I walk you home?”

“Why?” Seungmin asks dumbfounded. He is perfectly capable of walking himself home, heck, he’s been walking home from that exact same spot for his entire life!

Hyunjin doesn’t answer, but restlessly worries his bottom lip with his teeth.

“Wait,” a really insane idea comes to Seungmin’s mind. “Are you planning to kiss me on my doorstep?” he half-jokes, but Hyunjin’s strangled breath leaves a lot to imagination.

“Alright, let’s go,” Seungmin decides and walks towards his house. Because he would be such a liar if he says that he doesn’t want to re-enact the scene – that exact scene that seems to come straight out of a tooth-rooting teen drama and would have left him cringing just a few weeks before.

Hyunjin goes as far as climbing the three storeys of the building before standing in front of Seungmin’s doorstep. But then he just awkwardly shifts on his feet and waits and waits.

“Aren’t you supposed to kiss me right now?” Seungmin hazards.

Hyunjin chokes on his own spit and gawks at him. “I, uhm, I don’t want to make you uncomfortable,” he stutters out. “And this is probably really weird, but you really don’t have to feel obliged to do this just because of the wish, which was totally fulfilled and-” he gets interrupted by Seungmin suddenly grabbing him by the collar.

“Shut up and kiss me already, Hwang,” he intentionality whispers on the other’s lips.

Hyunjin gulps at that and softly connects their lips. He then breaks away to observe Seungmin’s reaction.

So the younger moves his hands on the other’s so very soft hair and brings their mouth together again.

From that point on, Seungmin may or may have not lost the connection between time and space, fervently latching on those luscious lips that taste like the mint-choco ice-cream they had for dessert. He nibbles on them and revels on the soft gasps it causes.

He can feel his body being pressed between the wall and a warm chest, long arm draping over him and caressing him keenly, yet carefully.

“Oh, shit!” Seungmin hears someone swear. But he doesn’t really care – he’s particularly busy at the moment.

Hyunjin doesn’t seem to be of the same idea because he breaks away once again, startled, and looks at the intruder.

“Don’t mind me,” says the voice, that he can now recognise as Jimin’s. “I’m just heading out.”

Then she smirks at the two. “Also, there is no one home at the moment, just saying,” she winks as she runs down the stairs.

And Seungmin can finally turn his attention to Hyunjin again. He doesn’t know what he expects, but he surely doesn’t forsee a starry-eyed boy, with dishevelled hair, embarrassingly red cheeks and bruised puffy lips staring back at him.

“I, uhm,” Hyunjin crocks. “Wow,” he takes a long breath and wets his lips with his tongue.

Seungmin thinks he could do that for him, too. Wait, no, that’s not it!

Is Hyunjin regretting what has just happened? Because the way he’s anxiously fidgeting and escaping his gaze can totally mean that.

“Uhm,” the raven-haired boy tries again. “It’s probably late, and I should probably go,” he says. And Seungmin can feel his heart shatter.

Of course, he is regretting! Why else would he try to flee the scene like that?

He awakes from his self-deprecation when he feels a soft hand on his left cheek. Hyunjin is looking at him with the most beautiful pair of eyes he has ever seen in his brief life.

That absolutely breathtaking boy then leaves a feather-light kiss on his mouth and gives him a sweet sweet smile. “Thank you so much for this wonderful date, Seungminnie.”

And Seungmin’s heart might have done a few somersaults at that.


	5. Hyunjin's Week

There is this one thing that is constantly bothering Hyunjin’s mind these days.

And as if on cue, the bells of the laundry’s shop chime and enters the most beautiful human being in the whole world.

“Hey!” Seungmin greets, his smile brightening up the whole block, Hyunjin thinks.

“What are you doing here?” he smiles, without even realising it.

“Can I keep you company?” Seungmin asks excitedly.

“Oh!” he would actually like that, but then he deflates. “I still have more than a couple hour left though...”

“I won’t distract you” Seungmin pouts, his pretty pink lips very very soft.

So here is the problem. He would very much like to overcome the phase of awkward flirting and occasional makeout sessions to something more. Something exclusive, maybe?

“You’re staring” Seungmin states, head adorably tilted to the side.

“You’re distracting. You’re very very very much distracting.” Hyunjin whines. “You’re the most distracting human being ever!”

“So it just stop at human beings?” he pouts again, but this time – Hyunjin can swear – he’s doing it on purpose. “I’m no way even near Kkami, right?”

“What do you mean?” call him dumb, but it’s very difficult to have a functioning brain when you have a whole Kim Seungmin in front of you, alright?

“I can get possessive too, you know,” Seungmin looks up at him with his beautiful puppy eyes.

Hyunjin’s heart stops at once. “Yes, please.”

“What?”

“I mean,” Hyunjin almost chokes on his own spit. “Last time you prepared a fun date for us, right?” He takes a deep breath, his heart trumping nervously. “Do you want to perhaps go to another one?”

“Yeah, I’d love that!” Seungmin giggles. And trust him when he says that this is exactly how he imagines angels to be singing in Heaven.

“This time I’ll prepare something fun, then!” Hyunjin declares.

~*~

The plan is easy. He makes Seungmin spend a sweet and romantic day, confesses his undying love for him and asks him to be his boyfriend, and they get their happily ever after. Okay, maybe not to that extent, but points have been made.

So he spends the entire morning preparing cute sandwiches and tasty kimbap rolls for their picnic date. He showers, puts on his favourite pair of jeans, his lucky shirt underneath his most appealing overcoat and, of course, his favourite accessories.

He would have liked to pick the younger up from his place, but knowing Seungmin, he really isn’t able to stay put and wait patiently.

That’s why it isn’t even a surprise to find him already waiting outside Hwang-house, ten minutes prior their arranged time. A baby-blue sweater framing his dashing figure. And has Hyunjin ever said how pretty the colour blue looks on that puppy-looking boy? Because it is, absolutely the prettiest.

“What’s in that backpack?” Seungmin asks as soon he notices him, eyes glistening with curiosity.

“A surprise~” Hyunjin grins.

And a surprise it is when they find the perfect picnic spot beside the river, just to find out that he left the whole-ass picnic blanket at home!!

“It’s okay, we can sit on the grass,” Seungmin tries to reassure him, like the understanding angel he is. “It’s been weeks since it last rained and the morning dew has already dried off!”

Which is true, he discovers once they sit down, but still! It was supposed to be soft and cute and not them looking goofy like two dudes chilling on the grass.

“Don’t be upset,” Seungmin leaves a small kiss on his cheek. “I actually love picnics and I’m glad you brought me here.”

And Hyunjin feels like crying. Not because he’s sad though, but because he really doesn’t know what he did in his past life to deserve the privilege to meet such a sweet and caring human being.

“So what’s in the backpack?” Seungmin asks again, giddily.

Hyunjin smiles at the younger’s enthusiasm, takes out the multiple lunchboxes and opens them. “I just made a few snacks.”

“Yaaay!” Seungmin cheers cutely. “Chef Jinnie’s cooking, my favourite!”

Hyunjin really doesn’t have that much confidence in his cooking skills, but seeing how Seungmin is enjoying those simple dishes and chanting praises about how good everything tastes... That just makes him so warm. And loved, but he isn’t going to say this one aloud. Not yet.

It’s actually easy to forget about his mishap with the blanket, playing in the meadow and taking pretty pictures of the scenery or of each other.

What is not easily forgettable is when this little kid comes from nowhere, bums on Hyunjin, stares at him for a couple of seconds too long and bursts into tears. And if Hyunjin is good at something, it’s panicking. So that’s exactly what he does.

Seungmin immediately comes in aid and with soft murmurs, calms the kid down.

Turns out he has got lost and can’t find his parents anywhere. And that’s how they find themselves running around the block for an hour and half, trying to locate said parents.

While Hyunjin is really glad when they reunite the kid with his family, at the same time, come on! Can’t a dude even go get his man in peace without the Universe trying to boycott it?! And now their date is ruined and he can’t confess after such a disastrous day.

Seungmin must have realised his soured mood, because he grabs his hand and smiles. “Hey, do you think I can play with Kkami for a bit?”

~*~

"Hello baby~" Seungmin coos at Kkami, who instantly jumps on his lap. "How have you been?"

Hyunjin loves seeing the two of them together, he really does. But today he feels petty and bratty because of his failed secret grand plan for confession. "You seem to be here just for him," he pouts.

"I'm mostly here for him," Seungmin smirks at him, a playful glint in pretty eyes. "But I'm here for you, too."

 _Oh_. He said that once before too, right? But then it felt awkward, and now...

"Can I kiss you?" Hyunjin asks on impulse.

“You want to kiss me?" Seungmin tilts his head on the side, like he usually does when he’s thinking about something.

"Yes, absolutely, no-doubtedly yes" Hyunjin shamelessly admits.

"Then what is stopping you?" the younger smirks.

Hyunjin doesn’t need to ask for more. He slides on the floor, cups Seungmin’s beautiful face in his hands and starts leaving feather-like kisses all over it – on his cute nose, soft cheeks, breath-taking eyes and, last but not least, on his pretty lips.

Seungmin seems to be waiting just for that moment, because he softly kneads his fingers on Hyunjin’s hair and hungrily latches on his lips.

Pampering Seungmin with his affection must be Hyunjin’s favourite pastime at this point, because he can’t seem to get enough. He can’t get enough of that soft skin, cottony smell, warm and eager hands all around his body.

“Woof!” he then hears suddenly. He follows the sound to find Kkami glaring his teeth at him because, apparently, he’s now straddling over Seungmin.

"Are you serious now?" Hyunjin huffs, exasperated. "Are you seriously being possessive over MY boyfriend now?"

He immediately regrets his hasty statement, sits up properly and sheepishly looks at the younger. “Sorry,” he murmurs.

“Is this what we are now? Boyfriends?” he asks, observing him carefully.

Hyunjin chews on his lips. “I, uhm,” he takes a deep breath and starts again.

“I really really like you, Seungminnie,” he confesses, making sure to convey the sincerity through his gaze. “I like you as a person, adore you as a friend, but also a lot more.” Shit, he can already feel his eyes heavy with water and his throat starting to get clogged.

“So yeah, I’d love to have you as a boyfriend, but it’s fine if you don’t want the same, I’ll get over it,” he sniffs and shuts his blurry eyes. He knows that’s easier said than done at this point. “Just please- I don’t want to loose you as a friend, too.”

He feels gentle hands wiping his tears away and caressing his cheekbones.

“Silly baby,” Seungmin whispers, leaving a soft kiss on his mouth, and waits for him to open his eyes. “Do you really think that I go making-out with all my friends or project partners?” he smiles.

Wow, Hyunjin feels stupid now. He shakes his head.

“Exactly, I don’t,” Seungmin confirms, pressing another tender kiss on his lips. “It’s just you, because I’d like to be your boyfriend, too.”

Hyunjin maybe starts crying again, but this time for a wholly different reason. This time he can’t believe how lucky he got when Mrs Jung decided to partner them together.

~*~

“We should do another picnic soon though,” Hyunjin says once he has calmed down. “Jeongin told me how much you like picnics on the riverside and I still found ways to ruin it,” he nuzzles better in the crock of Seungmin’s neck, where he found the perfect sport for snuggling.

“Wait, you know Yang Jeongin?” Seungmin asks, surprised.

“He’s my cousin,” Hyunjin nods, not understanding how this is important while planning their future dates together.

“That little shit!” Seungmin swear, but then starts laughing, as if he has just got a long-run joke.

It doesn’t matter now though, he’ll ask about it later. At the moment he’s way too busy cuddling his boyfriend.

Wow, boyfriend. Kim Seungmin, _his_ boyfriend. He loves how that sounds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope this doesn't feel too rushed, because I'm just that bad with deadlines and that bad at planning (:  
> (but yeah, apart from that, I hope you liked this whole mess that came to be 10k+ longer than I expected °-° )


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